Vatonage: Submerge
by 8D SerenityCrystal Tear 83
Summary: Book 1 of Vatonage trilogy. It's been a week since Operation Brighton and people are moving on . . . all except Kate; her nightmares won't let her. What will happen to a girl who doesn't believe she needs help? Will her missions and friends suffer for it? *Early chapters need rewriting; later chapters are better, starting at 3. Rated K-plus for occasional themes on the darker side*
1. Prologue

_I know, I know. What the heck am I doing posting yet **ANOTHER** CHAPTERED fic when I have three others I have to update! Well, if you read my profile, it says I have a bad habit of publishing stories before I get a good head start on them, and that I get bored easily and am a very slow updater; it's not a good excuse, but hey, what can I say? Plus, I wanted to post something new._

_**Important:** What I can tell in the future for this fic is that, I am definitely going to take my time on it. This is my very first dark-ish chaptered fic that I'm posting on the internet, and I want every chapter to have some sort of depth and suspense feel to it, even though it's also going to be cute and light hearted, if you know what I mean. And though reviews make me happy and want to write faster, I'm still not going to guarantee anything._

_Now onto important things about the story. The other genres of this fic are drama, hurt/comfort, suspense, some humor, a little romance, and some adventure (because of the whole Ranger thing, ya know). Pairings in here are Almiashipping (Kellyn/Kate), Vatonageshipping (Keith/Kate), and maybe a bit of Isaac/Rhythmi (is there a shipping name for them?). This is "book" one of the Vatonage trilogy. Vatonage has a really important meaning in this series, and I'm really looking forward to writing about Kate and co. in all three "books."_

_**Also important:** I will not take kindly to flames and extremely negative two worded comments. I really appreciate some constructive criticism and suggestions on what I could work on - especially about the characters, since I'm quite iffy on character development and staying in character; but if it's clearly nothing but hate comments and the like, then I won't hesitate to bite back._

_I'll be replying to reviews and comments via here or PM (if I have a question about the suggestions/criticism), but I'll most likely be answering questions or saying thanks or something, so I won't be replying to everyone, but just know I read each and every review and I love them all (unless they're flames or something)._

_Okay, I've gone on long enough. I think I've covered everything, so thank you for reading all that (if you haven't already skipped to the story, anyway)! Now let's get on with the show!_

_**Disclaimer:** If I really owned Pokemon I wouldn't be on here writting **fanfiction** about it, now would I?_

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><p><strong>Vatonage Trilogy<strong>

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><p><em><strong>Book I: Submerge<strong>_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

_**Kate**_

"Now! Awaken from the darkness! Rise, my Darkrai!" Blake Hall commanded. As soon as those words left his mouth, I felt my own dry up. Darkrai? The legendary Pokémon, Darkrai? Who am I kidding? There's no other thing called Darkrai! But a girl could hope, right?

Mr. Hall – oh, to heck with it! He doesn't deserve any respect! _Blake_ walks towards me while describing what Darkrai is. _Shut up! I know what it is! _I think, but control my tongue. Suddenly, the tower shakes violently and I prepare to go into horse stance to help keep my balance, but just as sudden, the tower stops. I'm puzzled for a moment, but then I see this small spot of jet black in front of me. It gets bigger by the second until the form of a Pokémon I've only seen in picture books when I was little rose from it.

I know I should've been fearing for what will happen next, for what will happen if I can't capture Darkrai . . . but all I could do was be fascinated by the sight of a legendary that no one would ever see in eternity, because it lives in darkness itself. Something that none of us could ever see.

"Go on, Darkrai!" Blake's order snaps me back to reality, but I only gaze at Darkrai as my mind tries to register the current situation. "Invite this hero-fixated child to your world of darkness!" Wheeler makes a hideous laugh, snicker – whatever it is, as Blake steps aside.

Darkrai comes closer and that's when I finally realize what's going on! I try to get away, but it was a futile attempt, there was no point to even try. Darkrai waves its arms and the small circle of shadows beneath it expands again, into a large pool of eternal darkness. Pachirisu gets pulled into the pool, but quickly grabs hold of my ankle with his tiny, quivering paws.

Even before the darkness engulfed my shoe-covered feet, I could feel the gravitational pull that made me feel . . . attracted to it. As if the darkness wasn't a bad thing. Like it was welcoming me. I almost fell for it, but the Pokémon suffering in Almia came to my mind first. _I can't let them stay that way!_

Though it was a wasted effort, I continued to struggle and fight my way against the darkness, but I only sank deeper and deeper. As I did, Pachirisu desperately tried to climb up higher to get away from it. The strange thing was, the parts of my body that were engulfed in the blackness, I couldn't feel anymore. Like the lower half of my body had fallen asleep and it was impossible to really feel anything, except that prickling needle feeling that comes with it isn't there.

My determination to capture Darkrai drained from my mind and body. The concern I feel for Pachirisu, Sven, Wendy, Isaac, and Keith is also fading fast. The love for my family and friends numbed as if I barely knew them to begin with. The hope I had for Pokémon and humans to live together forever in peace, harmony, and happiness disappeared. And my will to see this mission through to the end left me.

Suddenly, various other emotions washed over me. Anger. Betrayal. Disgust. Pain – Every negative emotion ever known to man. It was like my heart closed off and was replaced with some empty object. I need help. Somebody, please help me! I don't care if it _is_ my body, I don't know who I am anymore!

_. . . To not know who you are . . . I think that's worse than dying_, was my final thought before my head went under and everything went black. . . .

**SsSsS**

My eyes shot open, but there was no light. It was dark and blurry. I panicked. _No, not again! Please, no!_ I open my mouth, about to scream for help, but I'm interrupted by a touch on my arm. I glance down and see Pachirisu staring at me with concern in his large eyes. "P-Pachirisu . . . ?" I whisper. My vision clears and adjusts to the darkness. I'm laying in bed in my dorm room. The clock on the bedside table reads, 2:43 A.M., no wonder it's so dark in here!

I sit up, immediately noticing I'm dripping with sweat, making my bangs stick to my forehead and my nightgown cling to my figure a little. My breathing is quick and uneven with my heart thumping in my chest like a basketball getting dribbled on concrete. "Pachi su?" Pachirisu nudges me again, but he looks a little more frazzled now. I realize he's crying. Large droplets well up in his eyes and falls straight down onto my hand that was clenching the sheets.

Then I realize . . . I'm crying too. Hard; and the tears won't stop . . . for either of us. I take Pachirisu in my arms and hold him close. I don't ever want to let him go.

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><p><em>Prologue done! Yes, I used the scene from the Ranger 2 game, but just elaborated more and such. I hope it was worth the read! Please tell me what you think so far!<em>

_Until chapter one; Ciao! ;D_


	2. 1: Left Behind

_Hey, y'all! Guess what? Here's an update! WOOO! All I did was want to write just a bit for this story, and then WHAM! I couldn't stop typing! Hehehe~! So you guys are in for a real treat by getting an update! I really hope you enjoy the first chapter of Submerge. I did my best to keep everyone in character, but please don't hesitate to point something out if they're not._

_**To my oh-so-fabulous reviewer:**_

KateHitomiLovett: _Hahaha! Thank you so much! That has to be one of the sweetest reviews I've ever gotten! It helped drive me to write sooner. ^.^ As for your requests. . . . There will be some more obvious Keith/Kate romance in future chapters (along with Kellyn/Kate), but right now I just want to focus on Kate's (and Pachirisu's) inner struggles and difficulty to open up with anyone (besides Pachirisu). So for now, you'll have to settle for _indirect _flirting from Keith. ;) As for Ice flirting and the Dim Sun team making amends . . . we'll have to see about that. I think Ice/Kate is cute too, but this fic isn't centered on romance (I may make a one-shot of Ice/Kate, though!); and I don't know what I'm going to do with Team Dim Sun yet. So we'll see. Keep reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter! ^.^_

**Disclaimer:**_ What is the point of this question? We all know I do NOT own ANYTHING related to Pokemon! All I own is the plot of this fic. Nuff said._

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><p><em><strong>I ~ Left Behind<strong>_

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><p><em><strong>Kate<strong>_

"Hey, Kate, are you okay? You seem, I dunno, troubled or something."

_Do I _look_ okay?_ I snapped in my mind. Okay, well, yeah, I do. I made sure to put a bit of make up on beneath my eyes to hide the bags under them; I looked good as new! But that didn't mean I _felt_ that way. I turned my head to the left to look at my best friend, Rhythmi and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah. I'm okay, Rhym. I just had a restless sleep." Which is true. It's been a full week since Operation Brighton, but every night since then, I've been having these awful nightmares. I figured it was just a faze. I mean, who _wouldn't_ have nightmares after being a microsecond close to living in eternal darkness for the rest of your life? They'll go away soon enough, so I never told anybody about them. They weren't important.

Rhythmi looked doubtful for a moment, but right when she opened her mouth to say something, Keith – another best friend of ours – and Isaac, a classmate back in Ranger School, joined us at our table in the cafeteria. "Man!" Keith sighed as he plopped down across from us with Isaac. "I'm not sure how much longer I can take this. If we're Top Rangers, why are they serving us mystery meat!" He poked at the brown-gray protein with a fork. "Shouldn't we be eating something decent? The Fiore Ranger Base had better food than this!"

Usually I'd agree with him and start adding how good the food was at the Vientown Base, but I just didn't have the energy today. Instead, I continued to eat silently while pretending to be interested in the conversation. "Actually," Isaac said, "that's liver." He pointed to the meat on Keith's plate. "It gives you energy and has a lot of vitamins; it's perfect for Rangers, really."

Rhythmi turned her nose up. "Liver? Yuck!" She stared down at her tray with her brown eyes. "I never _did _like liver. . . . "

"Neither had I!" Keith said with a strange glint in his eyes. He looked at my tray – which was filled with a very light serving of spaghetti and mini meatballs and a fruit cup – then suddenly leaned over and grabbed the juicy meatball I had been saving for last.

"Hey – Keith . . . !" I growled in disbelief. He knew very well that I loved meatballs!

Keith ignored me and ate it. "Mm, now that's what I call edible. Thanks, Kate!" He grinned at me after licking his lips, but I only glared back.

"You're _not _welcome!" I pouted. "Get your own!"

"I don't want to get up and walk all the way back over there."

"Then next time get something that looks normal instead of stealing off someone else's!" I said this while dodging Keith's hand which was reaching for another meatball.

He made a face at missing. "But that's no fun!"

"Get over it!" I stuck my tongue out at him childishly, then continued stuffing a Pecha Berry in my mouth with my tray now on my lap for protection. Pachirisu – who was sitting on top of the table beside me eating the fruit cup – made a sound of disbelief and started yelling at me in his Poké language, while pointing at the tray which was semi hidden beneath the table. "Oops, sorry!" I picked the fruit cup up and placed it in front of Pachirisu. He gratefully began to devour it. That made me giggle.

"Oh! That reminds me," Rhythmi started, turning away from her conversation with Isaac to look at me. "Chairperson Erma wants you to patrol around Altru Park and Altru Tower to see if everyone's recovering okay from last week."

"Okay."

"And she wants you to handle Boyleland, Keith."

"Gotcha!"

**SsSsS**

And so, after lunch, I made my way out of the Ranger Union with Isaac only a few feet behind me. He had offered to come along for two reasons. One, he felt it was his responsibility to make sure his co-workers and anyone around the tower was safe. He still blamed himself for what had happened in the first place. (He still works at Altru Tower in addition to working at the Union.) And two . . . I still don't know my way around in that place, so . . . yeah. . . . Shut up.

Anyway, I captured two Doduo for me and Isaac. It was hilarious watching him try to get on without strangling it, but, after my assistance, he eventually he got the hang of it. As we rode through Union Road, I kept thinking about how this patrol would effect me. After all, my nightmares always starred on top of Altru Tower. This trip would either worsen my dreams, or finally let me move on. . . . Well, faster than I will eventually.

When we arrived in Altru Park, Isaac hopped off, saying he'd go on ahead to the tower and wait for me. After I released and thanked the Doduo, I carried on with patrol. Everything was the same as it always had been. The Chatot were singing, the Staraptor were flying, the Pichu were either being sweet and playful, or sneaky and mischievous, the children were playing, and the elderly were relaxing on the benches, watching the kids with smiling faces. I smiled softly. This is how Almia should _always_ be.

Fifteen minutes later, I was on the path toward Altru Tower, the former Incredible Machine. I noticed Pachirisu eyeing it warily when I felt my shoulder being gripped. In that same moment, Pachirisu crouched lower and leaned in sideways until his head rested in my neck. "P-Pa risu-u-u?"

I snuggled his head with mine. "It's okay. Blake isn't there anymore, neither is Darkrai, so there's no need to be worried." I winked. "'Kay?" That seemed to reassure him, for he raised his head again – though not much – and loosened his grip on my shoulder. I snuggled him again right when the tower entrance came in sight; and there was Isaac, with that mushroom haircut of his (Everyone says that, but it's more like a bowl-cut, to me. . . .), standing on the steps.

"Ready?" he asked when I was in earshot. I nodded while Pachirisu shook his head rapidly; Isaac didn't notice, however, and turned to lead the way inside Altru Tower.

I took Pachirisu from my shoulder to my arms. "Hey, didn't I say it'd be all right?" I whispered, trying to hold back a giggle at his flustered state. "I'm here, so you have nothing to be scared of." Pachirisu gave me a look. " . . . Okay, minus last time – but other than that, I'll be there to save you if anything goes wrong, trust me?" I said it with more uncertainty this time.

Pachirisu took his time in answering. "Pachi risu!" He smiled, as did I. By this time, we were in the building and just arriving at Isaac's side. The elevator soon came and we rode through the many levels. Five minutes later, we were a few floors away from the roof (Thank Arceus, they fixed the elevator! Now I won't have to go through so many floors and hallways!).

Isaac chuckled. "It seems like only yesterday we were up here trying to disable those barriers."

"Well, it does feel that way," I said, glancing at the broken machinery. "These floors haven't been repaired yet."

"True. They're going to do that after everything else is decent. Hmm." Isaac pulled on a thoughtful expression. "You think I should get those barriers up again?" He glanced sideways at me. "With better programming, of course. It could help protect the Luminous Crystal incase Team Dim Sun decides to come back."

I smiled. "I think that's a great idea, Isaac! Prof. Hastings and Chairperson Erma would like it, too, I'll bet!" He beamed.

Finally, we were on the last floor; just under the rooftop. Suddenly, my legs felt like jelly. As if I was about to collapse any moment. I stopped walking, which Isaac took notice of. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." He looked skeptical. Geez, what's up with everyone not believing me today! "S-Seriously! I was just thinking, 'What would happen if the Sinis Trio were up there?' That would be funny!"

Isaac frowned. "No, it wouldn't. Especially, since it would be quite easy to get up here. . . . "

_Dang it!_ I scolded myself. _Why did I have to say that! Now he's all anxious!_ "A-Ah, ya know, I was just kidding, right? There's no way they could've gotten here without anybody realizing! Now come on, let's go!" I began trotting passed him before he could say anything. Pachirisu sent his own puzzled glance my way, but I could only force a smile.

I took the stairs two at a time. My stomach turned and twisted the closer I got, and my heart sped up little by little. _What's wrong with me?_ It sounded more like a plea than a question, even for my thoughts. I emerged outside. The sky was a brilliant blue, with few clouds in the shapes of marshmallows. Starly and Pidgey flew across it with a grace only Flying Types could ever have. The sight relaxed me a bit. Inhaling deeply, I spun around and looked toward where the crystal is held.

It was just as enchanting as the very first time I saw it. The Luminous Crystal glowed, sparkled, dazzled and shined as the three colorful gems danced around and around it in an endless performance. It truly was a magical sight. Pachirisu seemed to agree, because his eyes shown.

I got closer and gazed at it. It was too beautiful of a sight to just turn around and walk away. The crystal was such a release from the awful dreams I'd been having. It was like the Light of Life I needed to overcome the Darkness of Death. Like the only antidote to cure my disease. I wanted to stay there forever, but unfortunately, my feeling of relief was broken when I heard a voice call, "Hey, Kate!" It was Isaac, of course. "Looks like everything's okay here, ready to go back?" I sighed a silent breath, and turned halfway to look at the boy genius.

"Yeah! Coming!" I began to turn around fully, but stopped when Pachirisu tapped my arm repeated. "What's wrong?" I asked him, then noticed how terrified he looked. _Huh?_ He pointed to the crystal. I turned back around and looked at it again, then I felt my own heart stop. _N-N-No way! No, freaking way!_ I stepped back slowly, but failed and fell back on my shaking legs. There, in the Luminous Crystal's center . . .

. . . Was Darkrai.

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><p><em>Yay, for finishing chapter one! Please, tell me what you think of it, I don't want to be left hanging! Lol.<em>

_I have no clue when the next chapter will be out. I want to update my other stories first, so no getting your hopes up for an update anytime soon._

_Special thanks to my_ _reviewer: _KateHitomiLovett

_Until next time, ciao! ;D_


	3. 2: It's Real, but It's Not Forever

_Hey, guys, I'm back with a new chapter! I know it's been a while. I had writer's block; not the worst case, but still bad. And what you're about to read is the result of months of writting stumps. ^ ^;_

**_To My Oh-So-Fabulous Reviewers:_**

KateHitomiLovett:_ Haha! Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter also!_

Botan04:_ Arigatou (Thank you) for reading and reviewing, Botan04! It means a lot! Please enjoy this chapter, too!_

**Disclaimer:**_ I own the plot. Nothing - and I mean NOTHING - else! So get off my back already! *makes face*_

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><p><em><strong>II ~ It's Real, but It's Not Forever<strong>_

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><p><em><strong>Isaac<strong>_

"Kate?" I asked when I glanced behind and saw she didn't follow me. I retraced the few steps I took from the roof of Almia Tower, and looked back at the crystal. My eyes widened at the girl on the floor. "Kate!" Running over, I put a hand on her shoulder. "Kate, what's wrong?"

She stuttered uncomprehensible words, but managed to raise an arm and point at something. "L-Look!" she finally got out. "T-T-The L-Luminous Crystal! It's-It's Darkrai!"

I paused briefly. _Did I hear that right?_ I thought. " . . . What?"

"Darkrai's in the Luminous Crystal!"

I looked up at the giant jewel, and studied it for a few moments, then glanced back down at Kate. "There's nothing there."

Her head shot up toward me, a look of what appeared to be 'horror' on her face. "W-What! How can you not? Darkrai's right there– " she stopped abruptly all of a sudden when she looked back at the crystal. Her body froze, her expression was unreadable, and her eyes stared away at nothing.

"Kate . . . ?" I nudged her after she didn't respond for a some seconds. She continued to stare into space. I nudged her harder this time. "Kate! Hey, snap out of it!" Kate snapped her head side to side before turning it in my direction. It was as if she didn't know where I was or something. Strange. . . . "Hey, Kate, what's wrong?" I said, softer this time.

She blinked once; twice, then tilted her head slightly to one side. " . . . Nothing's wrong," she said slowly, in a puzzled tone. She seriously thought I was going to believe that!

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She got to her feet and brushed off her uniform as Pachirisu climbed up to her shoulder (I had forgotten about him. . . . ). She took another glance at the Luminous Crystal and smiled. "It's still shining as bright as ever!" She turned back to me. "Well, ready to go?" she asked.

"Pachi!" Pachirisu said, while I just nodded dumbly. She walked passed me to the stairs, humming a random tune.

What just happened?

**SsSsS**

Rhythmi tilted her head to one side later after I relayed the events of that morning. "I'm serious!" I insisted when she frowned in disbelief. "I wouldn't make it up."

She shook her head. "It's not that I don't believe you, Isaac," she said. "It's just that, I _can't _believe it."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. "Sure, I know Kate's been acting a bit strange lately (you know, like slightly jumpy, or maybe paranoid or something), but her suddenly hallucinating like that is a little much to take in." She paused for a few moments, then looked up at me with a serious expression. "How was Pachirisu acting at the time?"

I blinked. "I don't know, I wasn't watching him. Why?"

Rhythmi's mouth set in a line. "You haven't noticed?"

"Notice what?"

"Kate isn't the only one acting odd lately," she said. She opened her mouth to say more, but before anything came out, the subjects of our conversation came down the stairs. "Hey, Kate!" Rhythmi greeted, half jogging, half skipping over to the fifteen-year-old.

**SsSsS**

_**Kate**_

"'Night, Kate! You, too, Pachirisu!" Rhythmi somewhat cheered as she waved to us.

"Goodnight, Rhythmi!" I said while my partner waved back. Rhythmi disappeared in her dorm room as I did the same. When I got in, I did a quick glance around the room; it somehow became my routine during the pass week. I don't know. I guess I just like feeling . . . safer, if I made sure nothing was waiting to jump out at me. Sigh. . . . How pathetic.

My room looked similar to one of those cheap hotels'. Nothing spacious, but enough to feel sort of comfortable, and my own private bathroom, which is a big plus. A bed, nightstand, small table, and a couple of chairs, that was all the furniture this room could hold. Sad, right?

After those quick ten seconds, I went to shower and dress in my nightgown. When I came out of the bathroom, Pachirisu was sitting on the windowsill, staring out the window. As I walked up beside him, I noticed how dark the grass seemed to be under the cloudy, night sky, and the wind blowing the tree tops against one another. "A storm tomorrow," I pointed out quietly.

Some minutes passed with unbroken silence playing in the room; just us gazing out into the seemingly unknown darkness. Everything looked so different at night. So much more . . . depressing – yet still comforting. I sighed softly, then looked back at Pachirisu. "Ready for bed, Pachi?" I asked, saying the nickname I gave my partner for random occasions.

The electric-type shook his head slowly, and stared back into the shadowed scene. I tilted my head to one side. "C'mon, Pach – " another nickname. " – you don't want to be sleeping the day away tomorrow, do ya?"

He said nothing, but shifted his attention to the brown-orange cushion on the windowsill. Soon, he shook his head in reply, but it didn't look like he was going to hop into bed any time soon. It then occurred to me why. I frowned slightly and petted his small-but-large head. " . . . Hey, I know how you feel, but not sleeping isn't the answer," I stated firmly. "If anything, facing up to the dreams will get rid of them sooner than later." More softly, I said, "These dreams may probably be more terrible than the real thing sometimes, but right now, I don't want you getting sick because of lack of sleep. So please, Pachirisu?"

Again, he made no response. All he did was look back up through the glass. I sighed, giving up, and sat down on the sill beside him with my back facing the window. Silence engulfed us as the minutes passed. A wave of sleep washed over me while I leaned back against the wall, but I kept my eyes open. I wasn't about to let Pachirisu stay up all night alone.

But the thought was unnecessary; out of nowhere, Pachirisu glanced up at me briefly before suddenly hoping onto my lap. He crawled around in a circle once or twice, then curled into a tight ball with his tail wrapped securely around. The action stunned me a bit, but real soon, I smiled. I began gliding my hand across his soft head, until I, too, fell asleep.

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><p><em>That was chapter two! I know it was kinda short, but I couldn't help it! T_T" *sigh* I'm sorry if it was boring. I'll try to make the next chapter more exciting. . . . Hmm. Maybe a little KateKeith action, perhaps? Or should that be in the chapter after next? We'll see. *wink*_

_Again, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And please review! You don't know how happy it makes me to get them, no lie. :D I don't know when I'll update again, but I'm hoping to within two weeks!_

_Special thanks to my reviewers: _KateHitomiLovett _and _Botan04

_Until next chapter, see ya~!_


	4. 3: Déjà vu

_'Sup, everybody! I finally got chapter three up! Yay! I'm glad I could update before the month was over~ ^ ^ From this chapter on, the story starts to get on a more deeper and darker level. And yay for this being my longest chapter yet for Submerge!_

**_To My Oh-So-Fabulous Reviewers:_**

KateHitomiLovett: _Thank you~ Everybody will find out what's happening to Kate and Pachirisu in the future, but_ one_ character will know in the_ near_ future. Which will cause some drama to unfold. ;3_

Wind-Rain-Hail-Mirage-Ivy-Vine: _Is this a quick enough update for you? Haha! Thank you, Ivy! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! By the way, love your username!_

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><p><em><strong>III ~ Déjà vu<strong>_

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><p><em><strong>Kate<strong>_

"_Go on! Get away from here!" I said urgently in my semi-harsh tone. The baby Pokémon squeaked, nodded, then ran off in a direction where the smoke wasn't as thick. I coughed, unable to hold my breath any longer. Where was Keith when I needed him? He always has the most terrible timing!_

_I shook my head, then focused back to what I was doing. I could barely see where anything was now that the flames had spread. Everywhere I turned, crimson danced across the once rich green grass and devoured the wooden benches. It gained up on the large fountain centerpiece until it wasn't visible anymore, and the blaze began to lick the treetops until they, too, got caught in the action. There was no way I could douse the flames out with just these two Bibarel, the most that was possible was to postpone the fire from reaching the Pokémon still in the park; but even that seemed futile. The crackling of the fire made it hard to hear the desperate cries of the Pokémon, and I couldn't walk two feet without the flames trying to strike me. It was impossible to search for those suffering, but then . . . what was I suppose to do?_

_A heartbreaking cry pierced through my thoughts. Instantly, my eyes snapped opened and I whipped around in the direction the voice came from. I sprinted, dodging the radiate blaze with newfound ease with Bibarel at my heels. I jumped over several benches and slid under two low-hanging branches before I saw an unconscious Budew surrounded by the eager flames._

"_Bibarel, Water Gun!" I commanded. The two beaver Pokémon immediately sprayed a mass of water from their mouths and onto the circle of fire. As strong as the Bibarel were, they made the flames part where the liquid hit, making a narrow path for me to squeeze through. They continued going as I slipped in the opening, getting wet along the way. I picked up the grass-type quickly-but-carefully and jumped out again._

_As we all ran to one of the paths ahead, I studied Budew's injuries. I could hear the sizzle as the bright burn marks covered its back and forehead. I could hear and feel Budew's rough, uneven breathing. Being so small and surrounded by flames – not to mention being a grass-type! – must have made it more vulnerable. I glanced back down when I noticed Budew trembling in its painful sleep. The burn marks were a much brighter color. _Great_, I thought. I didn't think a Pokémon could get a Burn with a normal flame; the thought made me run faster._

_Soon enough, we were out of the park and on Union Road. My legs picked up speed down the dirt path as Budew's breathing became more hoarse. The burns brightened even more._

"_Hey, Kate!" My head snapped up at the call of my name. Keith was flying overhead on a Staraptor, heading in the direction of the park, but he stopped and hopped off when he saw me. "What's wrong?" he asked. He looked at the Budew in my arms and instantly frowned. "We gotta get it back to the Union!"_

No kidding, genius_, I snapped in my mind._

_He gestured to the Staraptor. "C'mon! It'll be faster flying!" I breathed a sigh of relief, but it got caught in my throat as I stared at the grass-type. Keith looked at me. "Kate, what's up? Get on!" I didn't reply. "Kate! We need to get to the Union!" I shook my head as tears began to stream down my cheeks. "Kate . . . what's wrong?"_

"_It's dead."_

**SsSsS**

"Keith, Kate, I want you both to go and patrol Altru Park," Chairperson Erma ordered the morning after my patrol of Altru Tower with Isaac. "We've been getting several reports of a suspicious character around there and I'm worried it might be a stray Dim Sun member."

I blinked. Chairperson Erma said the exact same things in my dream last night. I heard Keith scoff next to me, grumbling something about how Team Dim Sun is Dim-_witted_ to even _think _about doing more mischief. I frowned and stepped on his foot to shut him up; it went unnoticed by the head of the Union because of how casual I was. She just gave a weird look to us when Keith glared at me. I held back a smirk.

"If you find any Dim Sun members," Chairperson Erma continued, "I want you to apprehend them and bring them back to the Union. Most of all, don't get carried away. Be careful."

"Yes, ma'am!" Keith and I said in unison. As we went down the stairs and left the building, Keith turned to me. "What was that for!"

I shrugged. "Muttering something to yourself is fine when your _not _in front of the _Head of the Union_," I replied, speaking a little louder during 'not' and 'Head of the Union.' "You might get demoted."

He rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that."

"Even if you did that _every _time she gives you a mission? Are you really willing to chance it?"

He opened his mouth, but closed it again. He repeated this process two more times before finally saying, "Well, I don't think you stepping on my foot _every _time would be any better!"

I held my head up higher. "Of course, it would."

"How?"

"I'm smart enough not to get caught." I smirked. Our banter was abruptly cut off by a little boy running towards us. His eyes brightened at the sight of us, but his face told us that he was about to burst. When he stopped in front of us, he kept stuttering while panting harshly. "Calm down," I told him softly, though he shook his head. "Catch your breath first. What's the matter?"

The boy shook his head again, but took several gulps of air. "T-T-The . . . pa . . . Altru-u Park . . . ha . . . it's . . . it's on fire – " I tensed.

"On fire!" Keith gasped. "How!"

"There's no time for asking questions!" I half yelled, half growled. The boy flinched at my tone. _Why did I snap like that?_ I asked myself. Softer, I asked the boy, "How big are the flames?"

"Huge!"

I frowned. "There isn't a Pokémon here to douse the flames. . . . "

"I'll message the Union, hopefully they can transport a Blastoise here," Keith spoke up. "I'll get some Water Pokémon from the other of the river, too, so you go to the park and save the people and Pokémon there!"

I nodded, and we both ran off in our separate directions. "M-My Budew's still in there!" the boy called after me. My heart skipped a beat. "Please, find him!"

"Don't worry, I will!" I called back over my shoulder. _Why was everything going on exactly as it had in my dream? _I wondered as I captured two Bibarel by the river. I thought it was weird enough having a dream that was different than all the others, but now that I'm actually living it . . . was it _really _just a dream? The thought made me almost stop on the spot. Wait. . . . But if it's what I think it is, then, that Budew –

I came back down to reality as I faced the park. The boy was right, the fire had spread, consuming most of the greenery and a few of the benches. What caused this in the first place? I raced against time to find all the people and Pokémon I had in the dream. The little girl crouching by the fountain with her Chatot was in the same spot; as well as the elderly couple and their grand kids huddled by a bench that has yet to be touched by the burning flames.

I got them all out quickly, then turned my attention to the Pokémon still hidden in the hot abyss. I was glad Pachirisu wasn't here with me now (Prof. Hastings suggested that Pachirisu be looked over to make sure he's not overworking himself.), I couldn't afford to look after him while concentrating on searching at the same time.

How was that Budew? Where was it now? In the same spot I found it before, or somewhere else? I inwardly sighed as I gathered a group of Pichu and Chatot together and directed them to the closest road out of the park, which lead to Altru Tower. In a way, I'm glad I had that dream; I could get to the Pokémon much quicker knowing where they were, and if that was the case . . . maybe I could save Budew before it . . .

"Bi!" I turned to see one of the Bibarel pointing in a direction where the blaze was thickest. I could faintly hear a sound of distress. "Bi, bi!" I nodded and followed the Bibarel through the flames. My lungs began to sting as it became harder to breathe without feeling any pain.

Seriously. How long does it take to get some Water Pokémon down here and help me? Stupid, Keith! I continued to rant about him as the Bibarel doused some of the fire in our way. Several Magby and Budew were hiding in a large bush. _Is the Budew from my dream among them?_ Getting these Pokémon out proved to be more difficult than the others. By this time the fire practically had the whole park covered. The water from the Bibarel weren't strong enough to clear us a path to the closest exit, but taking the long way around was too risky. . . .

A muffled noise came from someplace nearby. I glanced at all sides, but saw nothing. It didn't sound like a Pokémon or person, so I turned back to the group of Pokémon waiting for me and said, "Come on, follow me. Bibarel, any time the fire comes too close, use Water Gun." They nodded, and we were off. As we walked along the part of the stone path that wasn't too bad, I realized this was the last group of Pokémon I had saved from the flames in my dream. Now all that's left is to find Bu –

My thought was interrupted by me having a coughing fit. I looked up, and noticed the stone path had disappeared. I was standing on grass now, and the fire surrounded me on all sides. "What the heck?" I turned around and saw the Magby and Budew huddled together, looking as if they were about to cry, while the Bibarel were frantically trying to douse the surrounding flames. Oh, my gosh! Did I space out or something? Where did I lead us!

I looked in all directions, and in each one, gold, crimson, topaz, and black played in front of my eyes. The sky was barely visible behind the thick, dark mist of smoke. The sharp, rusty smell was almost overpowering, the air was too warm and thick to breathe in naturally, and the temperature was out of this world. There was no way I could last another five minutes . . . let alone the Poké –

I shook my head and glared into the flames. Even if I were to leave this world today, I couldn't drag the Pokémon down with me all because of my stupid mistake. There had to be a way out of this mess – there just had to be! I spun around the way we came. Judging by the sky, I could make out where the smoke wasn't as thick, but that was it. On my other side, the smoke also thinned out. Two ways to go with only minutes before the fire engulfed us all.

I began to close my eyes to focus, but they snapped right back up when I caught movement in the distance, behind the flames. It was a small thing with a bowling pin-like shape, and it seemed to walk with difficulty. _It couldn't be . . . could it?_ I squinted and leaned in further. _It is! _I gasped. Budew! My heart thumped in my chest as I laughed in a mix of delight and relief. I looked back while pointing to the fire in front of me. "Bibarel, Water Gun over here!" They obeyed and created a long, narrow opening through the blaze.

I started walking forward, but stopped as realization hit me. I turned back to the group of Pokémon, then looked back at the path. I glanced back and forth two more times, my stomach tightening all the while. There was no room for the Pokémon to cross the path safely to where Budew was; making another – wider – path wouldn't do any good because I still have to guide them out, but by that time, Budew could be in trouble!

I gasped for breath as my chest burned with all these different emotions. Anger, sadness, relief, guilt, regret, anxiety, fear, hope . . . and just plain . . . lost. Before, I only had to pick a way to go in order to get out of this fire hazard, but now I have to pick between life _and _death with both being inevitable! What do I do? What _should _I do?

And just like that, all my fears melted along with the flames as my vision blurred. I closed my eyes and faded away until all I could comprehend was the engulfing blackness.

* * *

><p><em>That's it for this chapter! It came out a lot longer than I expected to the point I couldn't add the real climax for this fire scene, so I'll be doing it for the next chapter. Can anyone guess what will happen? I'll reward a cookie if you guess right! Haha! XD<em>

_I don't don't when I'll update again. Probably some time next month, we'll see~_

_Special Thanks to My Reviewers: _KateHitomiLovett_, _Botan04_, __and _Wind-Rain-Hail-Mirage-Ivy-Vine

_Until next time~!_


	5. 4: Fork Roads

_Okay. First of all, I want to say how incredibly sorry I am for the long wait! Especially after that cliffhanger last chapter. Let me explain. I had written half of this chapter a few days after posting the last one, but then I hit writer's block. I knew if I kept writting, it would turn boring and maybe drag on until the climatic end and I didn't want that. At some point I started growing out of the story, but despite that, I kept taking mental notes for new ideas when I picked it back up._

_Then, the other day, I had this huge urge to write and inspiration hit right in the face. XD The chapter came out longer than I wanted, but I figured you guys wouldn't mind, right? :) Again, I'm so sorry to make you all wait. I really hope you like this chapter. It may be a little confusing - I won't be surprise if some (or all) of you are puzzled - but this whole chapter really starts the plot now._

**_To My Oh-So-Fabulous Reviewers:_**

Wind-Rain-Hail-Mirage-Ivy-Vine: _Yeah, no Blastoise, according to the game, anyway. But I think it was a good thing or else you wouldn't have had the drama in the last (and this) chapter. XD_

Lavender Crystal Scythe: _Hahaha! You'll find out now in this chapter. ^.^_

KateHitomiLovett: _Domo arigatou, Kate~! I hope you continue to like it._

_I've rambled on long enough. Enjoy~!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>IV ~ Fork Roads<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Kate<strong>_

When I opened my eyes, it was as dark as it had been with my eyelids closed. Maybe even darker. I knew I wasn't laying in a bed, but it didn't feel like a floor, grass, or even ground either. I sat up. What I was sitting on – or more like, what I was _not _sitting on, was a jet black ocean. I was hovering right on top, almost touching it. It was strange how I could move whichever way I wanted to without falling in, yet whenever I move, ripples appear on the water's surface as if I _was _actually making contact with it myself. The thought made me more curious. Prof. Hastings and Isaac would love to see this. . . .

My gaze turned from the water, but I couldn't see anything – or at least, anything I could make out. I stood up, dusting my uniform off in the process, but stopped, realizing there was no point if I wasn't covered in dirt. I glanced about. _What happened to the fire?_ I wondered. _Where's all the Pokémon? What is this place?_ I paused, taking a hesitant step forward. I felt a chill go down my back. Wrapping my arms around myself, I whispered, almost subconsciously, "Where am I?"

Out of nowhere, a large gust of wind blew passed. So strong, I was sure I was about to be swept off my feet – and _not _by Prince Charming, unfortunately. I tried opening my eyes, but shut them right back when the air hit them. They stung almost painfully. How could the wind hurt my eyes, but not the rest of my body? I stayed standing in place until the wind finally decided to change direction, blowing forward instead of backward towards me. After a few seconds, I dared to open one eye, and then the other. I blinked once. Twice. Three times, but I still felt like I was going crazy.

It was still pitch black, yet, in front of me, was something even darker (How much darker can things get? Really!). I couldn't tell what, though. It was like a shadow of someone – or something, but oddly enough, the shape wouldn't keep form because of the . . . wind? Different 'pieces' of the 'shadow' pushed one way and pulled the other, then came back again to take shape, only to repeat the cycle when the wind swept through it.

_Yeah, I'm definitely going crazy_, I thought, taking a step back. All of a sudden, my legs buckled under me and I fell to the invisible floor. When I looked up again, the shadow was gone and the wind stopped, but in their places, were two roads, both in a diagonal angle, making an unconnected 'V'. I stood up, squinting. Slowly, but surely, my legs gained more strength until I was able to walk without trouble again.

I stopped in the center between the roads, glancing up each way. Left or right? In movies, the left is usually right. The same with video games, and even most mazes; so would it apply here, too? Then again, should I really base my decision over general entertainment? I turned to the opposite path and walked forward a few steps, only to stop dead in my tracks. Why was my stomach suddenly filled with butterflies? And why did the atmosphere turn thick and heavy with dread? My head ached. I stumbled several steps before something in me screamed, 'STOP!'. I obeyed instantly, but was puzzled as to why. Looking ahead again, my eyes widened.

Where the road had been swallowed by the darkness just a few seconds ago, was now a blurred image of reds, oranges, and yellows. As it became clearer, my stomach only tightened more to the point I had to wrap my arms around it. Eventually the image cleared, making me gasp and my heart sank. The scene showed the fire in the park, its flames blazing proudly as if nothing in all of Almia could stop it, but that's not what made me so uncomfortable. It was inside. Between the flames, a lone Budew was shivering violently despite the heat surrounding it from all sides. In a neighboring opening were a group of Magby and Budew and two Bibarel that were huddled together; the Bibarel frantically spraying water at their surroundings, and the group of small Pokémon practically crying over somebody's unconscious body. . . . Mine.

I could hear the crackling flames now. Feel the overwhelming heat radiating off them. Smell the intoxicating fumes. Taste a close ending. . . .

Shakily, my arms untangled themselves from my stomach and extended to my face, covering my mouth as my trembling legs somehow managed to guide me backwards toward the beginning of both paths again. I spun around and half-ran down the left road. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I should've been determined to find a way to help them, not run away and abandon them like some coward, but there was nothing I could do. My body was in control now and I was listening to it.

All of a sudden, the fear and guilt washed away from my body and was replaced with happiness and a sense of accomplishment. _What the heck?_ I had stopped running when the feelings changed, and now looked up. Like the other path, this one also had an image with the colors of fire. Even so, I didn't feel worried. Not one bit. When the image straightened itself, it showed the flames of the park again, but this time, there was no sign of Budew, the Magby and other Budew, or my unconscious body. Instead, a group of Pichu and Chatot burst through the flames and ran into the safety of Union Road. I came out seconds later, immediately followed by the Bibarel duo. They sprayed water like it was nobody's business at my command, and were able to hold down the fire until Keith and more Rangers came with a Blastoise to put it out.

It was such a great scene. Like one from a movie. Nothing got in the way. There were no hard decisions. No obstacles. Just a girl doing her Ranger job. I smiled. _But wait!_ My eyes widened. _Where's Budew and the others?_ I scanned the image again and again, but there was no sign of them, and I was convinced it wasn't in the group that went on Union Road. Without realizing it, I began backing away from the scene until I was once again in-between both paths.

Both paths were so different; I was forced to make a decision and find a way out in the right path, whereas I saved the group of Pichu and Chatot and held the fire back without any remorse. As if the Pokémon in the fire never existed in my mind. How I wish it was that easy. . . .

I looked to my right, and watched as the scene far worst than my nightmare played out, then I looked to my left and stared at the happy scene, longing for it. Why does it feel as if something is waiting for me? Waiting for me to choose? . . . But what's there _to _choose? The roads are just showing my 'present' and my 'wish', right? It's all just some stupid dream!

I sighed heavily, and again looked to my right. I never thought I'd ever be in a situation where no matter what I did, I'd be responsible for a life, and a death. It's the worse feeling in the world, and I don't think I could handle the outcome. The left path, however, was something I thought was going to happen when I first got to the park, but then Budew just so happened to come into my line of sight.

I shook my head slowly, and began to walk down one of the roads. _I may not have a real choice as to where I can 'magically' teleport myself to_, I thought. _But . . . _I took a deep breath as I stopped in front of the image on the right path. _I _can_ choose, inwardly, where I'd rather be. _I gazed at the chaotic scene for another moment, before I gave into my confusion and exhaustion.

The silhouette from earlier appeared again, this time right beside me, and not being moved by the wind. My breathing stopped suddenly. My head felt heavy. My knees buckled under me, and the last thing I saw was a single blue eye glaring down at me before my vision went completely black.

**SsSsS**

"Bi! Bi!" a voice cried. It was immediately followed by a hard slap to my face. "Bi!"

I shot up with a small yelp. I rubbed my nose and the area around it where they were hit.

"Bi! Bi!" the voice cried again. This time I was sprayed with water.

That woke me up to the smell of thick smoke. My eyes snapped open in time to see Bibarel glaring at me before going back to spray at the blazing fire. The other Bibarel was on my other side also using Water Gun. The Magby and Budew made a sound that seemed like a cheer, and one Magby jumped into my arms. The fire still blazed to the sky in all its glory. _What the heck? _I thought, squinting against the ash in the air. _What happened to that dark world? The fork roads? The images _–

"Bi!" Bibarel interrupted my thoughts.

I shook my head roughly, and stood up despite the protest my legs gave, Magby still in my arms. "Right," I said. "No time for that." _It was just a dream, anyway. _I studied my surroundings. The fire was closer than I remembered, but still enough to move fairly comfortably._ Well, as 'comfortably' as it can get when your surrounded by fire_, I couldn't resist the bitter thought. _Now to get out of here. . . . We coul –_

"Dew!" The cry made me turn my head to the side. Through the flames, was that Budew. It had tears in its eyes, and was trembling violently. The fire practically kissed it. My grip on Magby tightened almost subconsciously as I saw a flame, blown by the breeze, touch Budew. It jumped at the contact, unfortunately making itself land head-first into the flames on the other side. It screamed, but somehow managed to stay rigid in place in the only 'safe' spot.

My eyes stung; not because of the smoke – though I think it did help it – but from the tears that threatened to well up. My grip tightened even more, to the point Magby had to cry out to make me realize what I was doing. Mumbling an apology to it, I clenched my eyes shut. My head spun with what I could possibly do. Keith still hasn't come back with the Blastoise, and I couldn't save both Budew _and _the group with me. That was impossible.

All the Pokémon suddenly started crying out; the group and Bibarel trying to get my attention, and Budew probably begging for help from someone out there. I slowly lifted my head to the sky._ No matter what . . . I really _do _have to make a choice, don't I?_

Without looking, I pointed in a direction. "Bibarel, double Water Gun!" They immediately obeyed and soon an opening was created. It wasn't very wide, but it was enough to get everyone through if carried. I looked at the Bibarel that slapped me in the face. "Grab a Budew and take the lead in the path. Keep up the Water Gun." I turned to the other Bibarel. "You too, Bibarel, but keep at the back and keep spraying behind us to keep the path from closing in too soon." They nodded and both picked up a Budew from the three here, then took position. I picked up the last Budew and had the other two Magby climb onto my back.

Before I could move to follow Bibarel, a fairly loud hiss and a desperate cry rang above the commotion. My heart ached, but I forced myself to not turn around. A single tear escaped from my clenched eyes and ran down my cheek. "Budew . . . I'm sorry." With that, I ran into the fire with the Bibarel.

**SsSsS**

The baby Pokémon coughed and sputtered roughly as the poisonous fumes found its way down their throats. "We're almost out." I found myself struggling through my own words, but my eyes lit up as the path finally opened, revealing Union Road. "Just a bit long – "

"By!" The sudden cry screamed in my ear.

I twisted my head around slightly to look at the Magby on my right shoulder. "What's wrong? What happened!?"

"By. . . . " it whimpered pitifully. I could just make out a wound on its hip. When did that happen?

"Hang on, okay?" I rasped. "I'll look you over as soon as I – Waah!" My semi-confident sentence was cut off by my foot getting caught on something. A root? A branch? I didn't have time to guess long as I realized I was falling toward the flames beside us, unable to recover.

_Seriously!?_ I screamed in my mind. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Just when I thought we were safe, I messed up. Again. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, Kate! How could yo –_

My eyes snapped opened at a Pokémon's cry. Everything in my mind went blank besides the duty of a Ranger. As I held Magby and Budew with one arm, I grasp the other two on my back with my free hand. Despite being inches away from the blaze, I braced myself, then threw the four with the rest of my strength, through the opening and out into the tree-lined road. Bibarel and the rest of the Pokémon were already there, staring at me with wide eyes.

_At least_, I thought, _I was able to protect _them. I closed my eyes.

**SsSsS**

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

_Where's the pain? Why am I not burning to a crisp right now? _I opened my eyes. The fire practically kissed my nose. . . . What's that weird pressure on my wrist?

"Kate! Wake up!"

My head shot up and twisted around. There was Keith, grabbing hold of my wrist while his partner, Buizel, along with a Floatzel and the Bibarel, was spraying around us at the surrounding flames. "K-Keith?"

"Loosen up already, will ya?" I just stared at him, puzzled. After a second or two, I felt how stiff my legs were, being stretched out in both sides, bracing me against Keith's hold. _Hm. I must've did that subconsciously. _I relaxed them; in that same moment, Keith pulled my arm with enough force to send us both sprawling back (or in my case, sideways) into the open, semi-fresh air.

"Like, _ow!_" I grumbled when we hit the ground – or rather, when Keith hit the ground and broke my fall (though it still wasn't a soft landing. . . .). Rolling off of Keith, I said, "That was a graceful rescue." I glanced at the sky, seeing rain clouds forming rapidly. "What took you so long? Had to take a number two or something?"

Keith made an offended expression that consisted of a frown, pout, and glare. "What kind of thanks is that? Help came, didn't it?" He brightened suddenly as the hard water of Rain Dance fell. "As for the rescue, that was your own fault. I'd have caught you and picked you up like a princess, but you were falling in a weird position in that tiny opening that doesn't deserve the title as 'safe path.'"

I rolled my eyes. "Real princes find a way to still be graceful and charming despite setbacks." Keith pouted, making me chuckle. "But really. Thank you for saving me, Keith."

"No prob."

My styler rang. "Voicemail! Voicemail!" Rhythmi's urgent voice spoke through the transceiver. "Kate, are you okay!? Did Keith get there yet? Why does he always disappear when we need him?"

"I do not!" Keith interrupted her. "I'm always doing something important!"

"Keith? What are you doing with Kate's styler? Where is she? Don't tell me she disappeared in that fire!"

"I'm fine, Rhym. I'm a Ranger, what do you take me for?" I giggled.

"Kate! Thank goodness, you're okay! I was so worried when Keith showed up and said you were by yourself out there, then how he took so long to go back –"

"That wasn't my fault!" Keith hissed. "Prof. Hastings made me to stay!"

"That's no excuse!"

I tuned out my best friends' silly bickering and directed my attention to the weakened flames. Talk about a powerful blaze; They're only a few feet high now, when usually a fire would be gone already, like the one in Vien Forest. . . .

"Miss Ranger!" a voice called over the downpour. A little boy waved as he ran to me. I stood up and took a few steps forward before he skidded to a halt in front of me. At once, my eyes widened. _The boy from earlier. . . ._

"U-Uh. . . . " I scolded myself for the hesitation.

"Budew!" he got out after catching his breath. "Miss Ranger, did you find my Budew?" He looked around, his eyes wide and sparkling.

"W-Well, um. . . ." I glanced back and forth, side-to-side, but nothing came to mind. Keith was oblivious to us as he continued to argue with Rhythmi.

The boy tilted his head to one side. "Miss Ranger?"

"I, um . . . " Something rustling in the bushes nearby caught my eye. Seconds later, a large group of Pokémon appeared, the Pichu and Budew came hopping out in delight, while the Magby and Chatot stayed in the shelter of the leaves, hiding from the rain, but waved to me. "Here!" I cheered a little too happily, I think, gesturing to the trio of Budew. "These are the Budew I saved!" I paused. _Did that imply that I didn't save another one?_

I waited in futile hope as the boy looked from one Budew to another. I knew none of them were his own, or else it would have jumped into his arms by now. "Um." I closed my eyes. "None of them are my Budew." I sucked in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. "Miss Ranger, aren't there any others you found?"

I was tempted to say 'Yes', that his Budew was out there somewhere and it was probably recovering from the shock. My heart lifted slightly. _Yeah_, I thought. _Who knows? Maybe it's true!_ I looked at the boy again. "It's probably hiding somewhere in the forest on Union Road, or maybe Chroma Road. I bet it had a terrible shock and it's just recovering now." The boy nodded, hopeful, but his head hung a little. "Here. I'll help you look." He smiled at that.

"Really? Thank you, Miss Ran – "

"Oh, my!"

"What is that?"

"A Pokémon!?"

We both turned in unison to where the sudden commotion came from. I had to squint against the rain running down to my eyes, but I could see a small group of people huddled together a few feet away. It seemed to have gotten Keith's attention as well, for he turned off the styler (I think I heard Rhythmi scolding him about something before she was cut off) and practically ran over to the people.

"What's going on?" the boy asked.

"I don't know."

"Oh, my!" the woman's voice gasped again. "It _is_ a Pokémon!"

"Hey," Keith's voice broke in. "What's up?"

A man spoke this time. "We found a Pokémon's body."

"Say what!?"

My blood ran cold. The boy must have had the same thoughts running through his head as me. He glanced at me, then at the people, and back at me, until he decided to run over and see for himself. _Please_, I pleaded. _Please, don't let it be who I think it is._

Time seemed to go so slow. I was barely aware of the pouring rain lightening up; my view was suppose to be getting better because of it, but it only got worse as my eyes began to blur. I watched as Keith blocked the boy from seeing the Pokémon, but the boy kept insisting. Keith's expression suddenly changed, like he was conflicted. The boy took that chance to slip in. _Please, no, please, no, please, no! _Seconds later, I closed my eyes as a yell of anguish filled the air. _No! No! No! No! No!_

Seconds turned to minutes, until finally the boy reappeared with a small bundle in his arms. " . . . Why?" he squeaked through his river of tears when he was right in front of me again. "Why Budew?"

" . . . Ar . . . A-Are you sure it's yours?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. She has a weird birthmark on her forehead . . . like this one do – " He broke down.

In times like this, you would usually hug the person in pain, but do I have a right to hug him when I could have prevented his Budew's death? I felt so useless. I raised my hand to my mouth as my own tears fell down my cheeks. "I . . . I-I'm s-so, _so _sorry!"

He shook his head. "N-No. Y-You're a Ranger. It's not y-your fault."

"B-Bu – " I was cut off by the Magby and Chatot surrounding me, and I realized it stopped raining. They cheered as one of the Magby embraced my leg. _This isn't a happy occasion. . . ._ After some time, I got them to calm down. I looked at the boy again, prepared to apologize for the Pokémon's reactions, but stopped. The boy stared intently at them, his mouth opened ever-so-slightly and his cheeks tear-stained. "What's wrong?"

His eyes snapped up at me, accusation clearly exuding from them. "Y-Y-You s-saved these Pokémon. . . . "

I blinked slowly. "Y-Yes, I did. . . ."

"You saved _all_ of them from the f-fire . . . b-b-but you c-couldn't save my _one_ Budew!?" My eyes widened. I tried to say something, but nothing came out. The boy continued. "She's dead because of you!"

"Stop it!" a voice shouted. Keith appeared beside me, glaring firmly at the boy. "I know you're upset about your Pokémon," he said, semi-gently, "but that doesn't give you the right to blame a Ranger. Kate did everything she could to protect and save everyone. You can't blame her for that."

"No, she didn't!" the boy yelled. "How can she save _every one _of the people and Pokémon in the park and not my Budew!? She abandoned it!"

"No, she didn't! She would never do that, right, Kate?" Keith looked at me.

"Of . . . of course not."

"Liar!" Fresh tears ran down the boy's cheeks as he glared fiercely at me. "Budew wasn't my Pokémon, she was my friend! We were going to grow together as we traveled the world and faced new adventures. But we can never do that now and it's your fault! You killed Budew!" He sniffed. "I HATE YOU!"

* * *

><p><em>Sad, but true. RIP, Budew. Believe me when I say I didn't want to do it - and I almost <em>didn't_ go through with it, but if I didn't, the story would have been on pause a lot longer._

_If any of you found it odd that Kate relaxed quick after Keith saved her, then remember: she saw the rain clouds forming quickly. An obvious sign of a Blastoise in the area. :) And after all she went through, of course she would relax, out of relief!_

_And as for the seemingly random dark place in the beginning, it makes a whole lot of sense later on, especially in the very last chapter of the fic. But if you all piece together the nightmares Kate gets, the darkness in this chapter, a very good hint in the last chapter, and the meaning of the root of the title of the fic, I think you'll figure out exactly what Kate is going through; hence, the plot for all three 'books.' ;D It's not just her suffering from nightmares._

_Anyway, again, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next chapter will be much more laid-back and - spoiler! - in Rhythmi's point of view. I don't know when I'll have it up. It can very easily be boring, so I want to write it carefully so it won't be a snore, okay? So please be patient. *puppy-dog eyes*_

_**Special Thanks to My Reviewers**: _KateHitomiLovett_, _Bonan04_, _Wind-Rain-Hail-Mirage-Ivy-Vine_, and _Lavender Crystal Scythe

_Oh, yeah. If any of you like Sonic the Hedgehog, I just want to suggest reading Piepiggy21's DARE. Readers participate in giving dares to the Sonic cast while they're forced to stay at the new, popular TV show DARE, all the while getting an actual story out of the fic. It can be quite funny, though it's still in the early stages. Check it out!_

_ s/7584780/1/DARE_

_Until next time~!_


	6. 5: Detached

_Hey, everybody! I'm back! Sorry for not updating! I kept debating whether I wanted a certain thing to happen in this chapter or not (which I decided to do it, though I took out part of it which will be in two chapters). And with said thing happening for only two seconds, I had to think of something else and make sure it wasn't too boring considering it's in Rhythmi's POV (not saying Rhythmi is boring, it's just that she's an Operator and isn't exactly apart of the real action, ya know?)._

_And so this took two days to write. _ Which I just finished it ten minutes ago. XD_

_I was going to write more to this, but felt it would only drag if I added more after the ending of this chapter, since the second half (i.e. the part I was debating about), came out longer than I thought it would, so sorry for the short-ish chapter even though I'm fully aware you guys deserve longer ones to make up for my slow updates._

**_To My Oh-So-Fabulous Reviewer:_**

PixelPeep:_ Oh, wow. Thank you so much, PixelPeep! I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but I promise next one will be quick since I actually know what I want to happen next chapter. I hope you enjoy!_

_I rambled on too long. Hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>V ~ Detached<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Rhythmi<strong>_

I looked away from the giant monitor in front of me to look over my shoulder. Chairperson Erma had just finished giving Keith a mission. To do what, I don't know. I wasn't paying that much attention to the details. What I _was _noting was the empty spot next to Keith.

When Chairperson Erma walked off, I looked over at Keith and waved to get his attention. When he noticed me, I mouthed, "Kate's not with you?"

At first he had a weird look on his face, as if wondering why I was being so quiet, but when he read my lips, he frowned and shook his head. Then he mouthed back, "I don't know where she is." My shoulders slumped.

Chairperson Erma had been pairing Keith and Kate up on missions and patrols a lot lately – when I asked her about it, she told me it was because there were no real threats and concerns since Operation Brighton and thought this was prime time for the two to catch up since they didn't really have the chance to when they were both promoted to Top Ranger. She would have included me in as well, but since I'm an Operator, I don't exactly have the position to hang out with my best friends except at lunch and at night when the workday is done. Anyway, for over a week now, Kate had taken advantage of a Top Ranger's ability to assign their own missions. She had immersed herself in them and requests from people, taking off on a Staraptor to another town or city faster than a Jolteon and searching for anything that may need damage control.

Prof. Hastings approved of Kate's 'boundless dedication and youthful energy', Chairperson Erma agreed and just hoped she didn't overdo it, but me and Keith? We were worried sick. Kate may be accomplishing a lot of things everyday, but it's starting to take it's toll on her health.

Don't get me wrong. Kate's in great shape physically, but whatever's been going through her head the last month must've doubled. Before, she had something on her mind, but still went on about her day, but now she's like a machine programmed to do nothing but missions and quests. Only when someone really gets on her does she flash an incredibly fake smile and force a laugh. That's so not Kate, and if this keeps up, it really _will _start to affect her physically.

I looked back at the monitor. I could easily pinpoint her location with just a few clicks, but sometimes it just felt like she didn't _want _to be found. I sighed heavily.

_Kate_, I thought, _what's wrong?_

**SsSsS**

The next day, Chairperson Erma called everyone in the Union together for an announcement on the roof of the Ranger Union. As she and Prof. Hastings stood together discussing something in low voices, I made my way through the chattering, question-throwing crowd in search of Kate. I spotted her at the very back by herself, leaning her back against the rail with loosely-crossed arms and an unreadable expression on her face. I frowned briefly and didn't bother removing it as I approached her.

"Hey, Kate, what's up?" I greeted her in a thoughtful tone. When I made it to her side, I leaned my back against the rail as well, but with my elbows bent to rest on top of the railing.

"Oh, hi, Rhythmi," she spoke, blinking when I settled myself next to her. She didn't notice me before that? "What's up?"

I giggled slightly. "I asked you that first."

"Oh, you did? My bad." She glanced down at the grass for a second before looking back up at me. "Nothing much. You?"

I shrugged. "Same here. Just wondering what Chairperson Erma and Prof. Hastings has in store for us. Any ideas?"

It was her turn to shrug. "Not really." And it was my turn to blink. Kate would normally list at _least _three possibilities. Whether they were possible or obviously wrong – usually the former, though. The latter is more up Keith's alley.

She went back to looking at the grass, I settled on letting my eyes drift from here, there, everywhere, and we both stood in the awkward silence that immediately followed.

A few minutes later, I broke the silence. "Hey, where's Pachirisu?"

"Devouring a couple of berries I found while on patrol." Her lips twitched at the corners. I smiled.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because that's what he can be found doing on a daily basis." We both laughed softly at that, and my smile grew. Kate's laugh was a little weak, but at least it wasn't fake.

"Hey, Kate . . . "

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" All heads turned to where Chairperson Erma and Prof. Hastings stood in front of the gigantic tree (I still don't know how in Almia the Ranger Union could support that thing), and I pouted slightly at being interrupted when I just got Kate to show a little emotion. "I'm sure you all are wondering why I've asked you here. Well, I can assure you that nothing is wrong."

"Yes!" Prof. Hastings spoke up. "With that Team Dim Sun disbanded and repairs going well, there is nothing to worry about."

"Then what's this about?" a nearby Ranger whispered to a Mechanic. The latter shrugged.

"How would I know?"

"We both have noticed everyone working extra hard to help those repairs become as good as they are now," Chairperson Erma continued. "With barely a break, too, I might add; and that leaves me to why I gathered you all here." She paused for dramatic effect, smiling, and in that pause, everyone looked at one another with the most puzzled expression. "Although it is a bit late, the Ranger Union will be holding a celebration in honor of the success of Operation Brighton. This will also serve to celebrate everyone's hard work and dedication." A loud cheer replied back to her and she chuckled at seeing a couple of Operators (Linda included) jumping in place.

"All right, all right, you lot!" Prof. Hastings stepped up. Everyone quieted down, but were twitching still. "Calm down! It's not time to celebrate yet!" Ah. As gruff as always. "Everyone is welcomed to join, including the Rangers, Operators and Mechanics from other parts of Almia if they so wish. I won't daresay that there won't be any work that day, but I advise to get everything out of the way before the celebration. If there is a particular emergency during the festivities, then one or a few of you may be called to take care of it, so Rangers keep your Stylists, and Operators will keep a new message device I'm almost finished adjusting. Understand?"

"Yes, Professor!"

He nodded. "Good."

"That's all," Chairperson Erma concluded. "The celebration will be held in Altru Park two weeks from today. That should be enough time for the repairs to be completed and everyone to prepare."

"Do we have to have dates?" a Mechanic asked.

Prof. Hastings scoffed before replying. "But of course not! This isn't one of those parties schools hold!"

Chairperson Erma shook her head slightly at him, then smiled back at the crowd. "You may have a date if you wish, but it is not required to have fun. If that is all." She nodded her farewell and left, Prof. Hastings following close behind.

As soon as it was safe, someone in the crowd shouted, "PAAAARTEH!" And everyone started cheering – except for Sven, who shrugged, Wendy who was just smiling in approval, me, and Kate.

I was getting a little giddy though. "Oh, wow! A party? Seriously?" I turned to Kate with the biggest smile on my face, but it immediately vanished at the sight of the almost dead look on her face. "Kate? What's wrong?"

She didn't respond at first, just continued staring off into some unknown place I don't think I _want _to know where it is. I repeated the question, and this time she began to slowly shake her head from side to side, her mind still someplace else. "A . . . Altru Park. . . . I-I . . . I – " Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

I reached out and gripped both her shoulders with my hands. "Kate, _what's wrong?_" I asked again, with more urgency this time. "Talk to me! What _about _Altru Park?"

She continued shaking her head. "I . . . I can't. . . . I c-can't go. Not . . . not to Altru P-Park."

"Why not?"

"I just . . . can't." The tears finally escaped and flowed down her cheeks in full force, "Not now," she almost croaked. "Not yet." Gently, she took my hands and detached herself from them. With her head hanging low, I watched as she walked away and headed back into the Union.

During all that, her eyes never once came back down to reality.

* * *

><p><em>That's chapter five, folks! I really hope it was interesting enough even though it was a little short. Don't be afraid to let me know if not. It'll make me more cautious about it next time.<em>

_So . . ._ what did you guys think of having another character's point of view?__

_Do you think Kate will end up going to the party? After all, she almost had a nervous breakdown just hearing about Altru Park!_

_And if she does go, do you think she'll have a date? If so, who? (Stupid question, I know. :P) BUT! I would save answering that for the next two or so chapters if I was you guys! Why? You'll see, though I think it's a little obvious. ;P_

_Story Spoiler! I'll give a little spoiler for next chapter (besides the one (kinda?) above). It'll be in two characters' points of views! Can you guys guess which ones? I'll give a hint: One of them is somebody I've only briefly mentioned__._

_**Special Thanks to My Reviewers**: _KateHitomiLovett__, __Bonan04__, __Wind-Rain-Hail-Mirage-Ivy-Vine__, __That Lavender - Brass Hearted__, and __PixelPeep

_Until next time - which will be soon, I promise! :3 Ciao!_


	7. 6: Awareness

After a long absence, here is another chapter! Honestly, I think the writer's block actually helped me this time. I'm pretty satisfied with this now, but my original plan for this chapter, I know, wouldn't have given me the same feeling.

To anyone still keeping a look out for a new chapter: sorry for the wait! Once again, I'm not making any promises about fast updates, but just know I actually DO try to write so I CAN update as soon as possible.

And, of course, reviews are always a great source of fuel. ;)

_**To My Oh-So-Fabulous Reviewer:**_

Botan04: Although late, here's a new chapter! ^ ^ Kate getting better soon? Hmm... That's something to think about... In what way? ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**Disclaimer:** Of course I don't own Pokémon! The only things I own in this story is the plot and any and _all_ OCs I decide to add.

* * *

><p><em><strong>VI ~ Awareness<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Kate<strong>_

Warm-hot blood coursed through my veins as my heart pumped wildly. I could feel my eyes reflecting the colorful light as it wound around and around the flaming stallion. It glanced left and right again and again as the circle of color got closer to it. Sweat beaded at its temples as it took a defensive stance, waiting for the ring to make contact.

I breathed a little sigh of relief, wiping the perspiration off my own forehead. It had taken me nearly two hours to find this Ponyta, and about another hour to finally get it cornered. When the rancher who gave me this Quest had said this Ponyta was the head of the herd and will likely keep that title, he wasn't kidding! This Pokémon is _fast _and was raised _very _well.

So I watched on, smiling with satisfaction. I couldn't wait to see the rancher's face when he sees I managed to find _and _capture his prized Fire-type!

. . .

Ponyta burned that smiled off my face. Seconds before the ring of light made contact with it, Ponyta crouched and leaped over it.

_Quite elegantly, too_, I admitted grudgingly.

Free from the near-capture, Ponyta shook and, without warning, the flames on its body increased in size. I could only drop my jaw as its body followed the sudden change, glowing an almost blinding white for a few seconds before enveloping the flames in the color as well.

The grass shined at its hooves, the surrounding bushes sparkled from the light, and the trees seemed to darken slightly, as if wanting the attention solely on the Pokémon.

The wind picked up as the white form shifted, stretched, and retracted until it was a larger shape than the Ponyta had been. Slowly, the brightness lessened until it grew dull, and slowly, the vibrant colors faded in until the white was gone.

The large Rapidash threw its head back, letting the sun's rays shine down on its blazing mane and tail. It's muscles were well defined and probably visible for miles. (Okay, that's exaggerating, but still. That Fire-type was raised really, _really _well!) If it was 'fast' as a Ponyta, I could already predict it being _lightning _now.

Suddenly, it looked straight at me, its dark eyes set in a deep glare.

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

Oh, Arceus.

The red flames doubled in size; with a wide swing of the head and a mighty call of battle, the Rapidash charged at me.

And just like that, I bolted.

No matter how fast I ran, though, it was practically at a Dunsparce's pace in comparison to the Fire-type Pokémon. In mere seconds, it was my turn to be backed and trapped into a corner. Rapidash approached slowly, but it was _not _friendly. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide (but even if there _was _a place to hide, that Rapidash wasn't stupid.). I could only try to control my racing heart as the stallion reared up with another wild cry, but that was a futile effort.

Rapidash charged, lips drawn back and teeth bared. I snapped my eyes shut –

. . . . .

. . . .

. . . but nothing happened. I heard a strange crackle in the air. Slowly, I turned my head forward again and opened my eyes. "Oh!" Rapidash stood barely five inches in front me, wrapped in a winding blue line of electricity. I glanced to my left and saw my partner at the other end of the line, curled in concentration. I smiled. _Pachirisu saves me once again._

With my back tightly pressed against the wall, I squeezed passed the still Rapidash, careful to not make contact and get paralyzed myself. Once free, I jumped back a couple of feet and pointed my Styler to the trapped Pokémon. "You were a worthy opponent, Rapidash," I spoke, feeling a smirk tug at my lips. "But alas, you have lost." With that, Pachirisu released Rapidash from his hold, and the Fire-type stumbled forward and bumped its head against the rocky wall. I resisted chuckling at the sight and instead made several large circular motions with my arm. The light of the Styler followed my movements until it formed that ring I've seen many times before. It wrapped the Pokémon in the center and, with Rapidash still recovering, the ring successfully made contact this time.

There was a pause as Rapidash blinked several times and shook itself free of the static remains. After it was done, it looked at me again and I tensed up, but relaxed when I realized it wasn't hostile anymore. The mighty stallion, once angry and set on a mission, now walked toward me calmly and allowed me to pat its long nose. I smiled.

Pachirisu suddenly appeared on my shoulder, and we high-fived-pawed (or whatever it's called).

Another job well done.

**~.~.~.~**

"Ho ho! He gave you a run for your money, eh?"

_He made me run for something bigger than money! _I kept my thoughts in my mind as I laughed – although it came out as more of an uneasy chuckle than anything else. "Heh heh heh...Yeah...The whole event was definitely an adventure in itself." The muscular rancher patted his new Rapidash on the neck. The stallion responded by nuzzling its nose in the man's dark hair. The rancher, Erik Holmen, laughed, but I scowled slightly, disappointed that Mr. Holmen was being tricked into believing his prized stallion was an angel. _Pachez and I know the truth..._, I thought with a glance at my partner talking to a little Cherubi a few feet away.

"I'll bet!" Mr. Holmen grinned. "I hope you'll come to my aid once more if ol' Rapidash here ever escapes again?" I didn't have to look in a mirror to see how pale I became, but the jolly man only bellowed in laughter at my reaction. "I'll take that as a 'yes'?" I was unable to answer, the color washing out of me even more, but Mr. Holmen grinned again. "Great! Thanks again, miss Ranger!" With that, he walked away, his Rapidash following right beside him.

They didn't go very far before the Rapidash turned his head back to look at me as he was still walking. The open, friendly eyes of the stallion suddenly narrowed into a glare. Shaken from my frozen state, I glowered back. With my index finger holding down my bottom eyelid, I stuck my tongue out at the Fire-type. It snorted and kicked in response, but his owner didn't notice. I could tell the Rapidash wanted to charge at me again, but unfortunately for the Pokémon, it couldn't. I continued sticking my tongue out until the two were out of sight.

"...Your face is going to stay like that if you keep it up; you know that, right?"

I jumped and instantly spun around, my heart thumping like crazy. I glanced a bit, but no one was there! With clenched fists, I stayed in place and continued to scan the area I heard the voice come from.

. . .

A soft cough...then the same voice spoke, "Uh...I'm right here, you know!"

With widened eyes, I slowly turned my head to my right. A boy with messy red hair stood just a yard away from me. A strange mix of annoyance, puzzlement, and innocent curiosity decorated his facial features, but it seems he was more offended than anything else, because I didn't notice his presence for...however long he was there. The boy glowered at me; I couldn't tell whether his red Ranger uniform emphasized the expression, or if it contrasted with its energetic colors. I tilted my head, partly in amusement, and partly serious in trying to distinguish the two possibilities.

Keith's eyebrows drew close together. "...What?" he asked when I had yet to say a word.

I blinked three times, then gave a very small smile as I straightened up. "Nothing. Just thinking that if _you _keep it up, your face is going to be the one to stay like that~" A pout accompanied the glower, and I smirked. "That's not making it any better, you know." Keith glared, and I laughed.

When I didn't stop even a minute later, Keith gave up, rolling his eyes and sighing. "Well," he said, "I guess I shouldn't be complaining."

That made me calm down. I looked at Keith, knowing my face echoed the confusion in my mind. "Huh? What do you mean?"

He shook his head, and promptly changed the subject. "Nothing really, but for a Top Ranger, your senses really suck." It was my turn to glare, but even I could feel it was probably more heated than necessary. The reason for that was because I couldn't think of a good comeback, and knowing me as well as he did, Keith grinned in satisfaction. "So what are you doing out here?"

I pouted and huffed before turning away and crossing my arms. "What does it look like? I'm doing my Ranger duties."

"Last I checked, making faces at nothing wasn't a part of our 'Ranger duties.'" Keith made quotation marks with his fingers as he grinned.

With a scowl, I countered, "How would you know? You've always slept during class back in Ranger School!"

Keith mirrored my scowl. "At least I was able to graduate with _all _of my senses!"

We glared at each other heavily. I racked through my mind to come up with something – _anything_, to throw back at him, and I could tell Keith was doing the same.

At least five minutes of silent glares went by before a hand suddenly grasped my shoulder. Keith and I both yelped simultaneously as we turned our heads to see our captor. "Will you guys cut it out already!" the blonde girl barked at us. "We're supposed to be mature adults; stop acting like we're back in school!"

Keith's eyebrows furrowed at the girl. "Adults? We're sixteen!"

"We're _supposed _to act crazy and stupid," I added.

Rhythmi took her hands from our shoulders and placed them on her hips. She began making gestures with her head. "Maybe you two, but don't start counting me in."

"Too late." I smirked. "You counted _yourself _in by arguing with us." Rhythmi's jaw dropped in realization while Keith and I doubled over in laughter. She looked indignant for a few seconds, but in the end, Rhythmi joined us in the fun.

**OoOoO**

Opening my eyes, I was met with a dark room slowly filling up with light. Quickly, I glanced around for Pachirisu. Finding him still curled up in sleep, I relaxed.

Ever since the mission, I've been having different kinds of nightmares about the events that occurred in Altru Park. Some were warped into lies about what happened (like me being unable to save that group of Budew, Pichu, Chatot, and Magby), and some were just retelling the scarier parts of the mission (like losing my way in the fire and being unable to breathe), but the worst ones...were about the dying Budew and that little boy. Sometimes in the dream, he would go into the fire himself after yelling at me and asking how I can be so incapable of saving a single Budew...

I sighed heavily. With each nightmare, I woke up with what felt like a heart attack, and unintentionally disturbed Pachirisu as well. He would go on my lap and either keep me company until I fell back asleep, or stay awake if I couldn't go back to sleep, even at my protests. . . . Pachirisu has lost so much sleep because of me.

Smiling slightly as the Electric-type finally got to continue his sweet dreams, I thought about the problem at hand. No, I didn't have a nightmare, but I did dream. . . . It was a really nice dream, too; succeeding in a Quest and developing an internal scar from it (those are the best ones!), getting teased for my dread at just the thought of doing a similar Quest, arguing with Keith, and then just having good ol' fun with my closest friends... So why do I feel this weird, heavy sensation in my chest? Was my body so used to waking up in fear that it just reacted this way out of reflex? Or was it something simple like just me not waking up in the right position?

I looked to the window; purple curtains covered most of the glass, but I was still able to see the sun rising through the thin fabric.

. . . . .

. . .

Oh... I know the reason. . . .

**OoOoO**

"Hey, Kate!"

"Yeah?" Tensing, I stopped in my stride and turned back half way, causing Pachirisu, who was jogging behind me, to bump into my calves and somersault backwards. He grumbled something under his breath in his Poké language.

Rhythmi ran up, then stopped with her hands on her knees when she was just a few feet away. "What..." she panted, "are you...doing...later?"

I glanced down at the shiny floors in thought. "Um...nothing, if I don't happen to find a request to do. . . . Why?"

Finally catching her breath, Rhythmi straightened up, disregarding the new wrinkles on her green Operator uniform. I blinked at the determination in her eyes. "Let's go shopping!"

Two blinks. "Uh...for what?"

"Clothes! What else?"

Relaxation slowly – ever so slowly – came back to my shoulders. By this time, Pachirisu was looking up at us in interest. "What for?"

Rhythmi rolled her eyes. "Does it matter? We haven't spent time together in forever and the one time I propose an outing, you question why?"

"I didn't mean – " The blonde silenced me with a raised index finger.

"One o' clock! Meet me in town."

"But – "

"No 'but's! You don't have a choice in this matter!" With that, my usually patient friend left, ignoring my puzzled expression.

After a few seconds though, I smiled slightly, but I could just feel no lightheartedness was reflected in the gesture. Looking at Pachirisu, I stuck out my elbow; he climbed up a moment later. "Oh, well." I sighed, turning back to the door leading outside. "Time to go."

* * *

><p>That's it! A lot of '...', huh? Haha! I didn't really realize I did that until I was almost done writing. XD But oh, well; I think it worked. I gotta say, I really felt for Kate during the whole capture scene. XD I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!<p>

Just in case any of you were confused: yes. that whole capture-Quest ordeal was a dream. Remember the prologue? That dream wasn't in italics either. ;)

**The next chapter is called:** _Surprise!_

Does anybody have a guess on what the 'surprise' will be?

**IMPORTANT!:** It's been up for a while now, but just in case nobody knows, I'll be keeping the status of all my current multi-chaptered stories on my profile page. There will also be Author Notes that will explain whether a story is on hiatus, in the process of being rewritten, or even just on a temporary break. I update the page regularly, so if any of you are curious about the status of the next chapter of V:S (or any of my other fanfics) either check my profile, or PM me.

Also PM me if you didn't understand something. I will either rewrite the concerned section to make it clearer, or just message you back in case I intended for the part to be portrayed that way.

I want to rewrite chapter two some, but I'm at a complete loss on what I should do. Any ideas? Regardless, I'll rewrite it when I do think of something, but for now, I'm going to be focusing on going forward with this story.

_**Special Thanks to My Reviewers:**_ KateHitomiLovett, Botan04, Wind-Rain-Hail-Mirage-Ivy-Vine, Trigger Police, PixelPeep

Until next time; see ya'll! :3


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